Pupils head to the farm for class

http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/rss/-/1/hi/education/6195370.stm

Version 0 of 1.

Pupils in England will learn more about how food is grown and produced and how it reaches the consumer under a new government scheme starting next year.

The scheme will see pupils from primary and secondary schools visiting local farms, tending school gardens and learning how to prepare food.

It will also provide schools with educational materials.

The Year of Food and Farming in education will run in the academic year from September 2007 to July 2008.

Pupils will learn what "good nutrition" means and how it can contribute to a healthier lifestyle.

They will also find out what the countryside can offer in terms of leisure, sports and employment.

Climate change

At a conference - Food And Farming, Reconnecting A New Generation - the Environment Secretary, David Miliband, welcomed the scheme.

"As consumers we have a great deal of power when it comes to buying food," he said.

The scheme ties in with a drive to improve school meals

"As well as influencing our health, the choices we make really do make a difference to our countryside, the environment, and to tackling the biggest challenge we all face: climate change.

"Consumers need to make informed choices, and where better to start than in educating the next generation."

Children's minister Parmjit Dhanda said: "Learning and understanding where our food comes from is vital if young people are to take responsibility for their own health and the environment.

"Our Growing Schools partnership already supports thousands of schools in giving their pupils opportunities to grow, cook and eat fruit and vegetables from their own school garden and to visit farms to see food production at first hand.

"The Year of Food and Farming will make that a reality for many more."

Tackling obesity

Public health minister Caroline Flint said: "Improving diet and increasing exercise are key to tackling obesity in young people.

"This is a great opportunity for young people to reconnect not just with the food they eat but also to get active and take advantage of the countryside that's out there waiting for them to explore."

The Year of Food and Farming was first put forward by the charity Farming and Countryside Education (Face).

It is supported by the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, the Department for Education and Skills, the Department of Health, the Royal Agricultural Society for England and other organisations in the food and farming industries.